Maple Leafs fire Randy Carlyle

Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Maple Leafs fired head coach Randy Carlyle on Tuesday.

Assistants Peter Horachek and Steve Spott will handle the coaching duties in Wednesday's home game against the Washington Capitals.

Carlyle's dismissal comes after the team went 2-5-0 on a recent road trip. The Maple Leafs, who have dropped seven of nine overall, sit in a playoff position, holding a slight edge for the second Eastern Conference wild card with a 21-16-3 record.

"I want to thank Randy for all of his hard work and dedication," Maple Leafs senior vice president and general manager David Nonis said in a statement. "It's never an easy decision to make when changing your leadership but our team was not trending in the right direction and we felt an immediate change was necessary."

Carlyle, 58, was hired by the Maple Leafs late in the 2011-12 season and led the club to the playoffs the next year. Toronto lost in the opening round to the Boston Bruins, blowing a 4-1 third-period lead in Game 7.

The former Norris Trophy winner finished with a 91-78-19 record during his tenure with the Maple Leafs.

Carlyle guided the Anaheim Ducks to the 2007 Stanley Cup title and owns 364 career wins.